#MondayBlogs: the difference between a pen name and a false identity. Kathryn Perez, a case study #amwriting #LGBT

When authors take their “pen name” to criminal lengths…

Dear Kathryn!

Can I call you Kathryn? I know you prefer to be addressed as Byron Rider these days, but for now I’ll just call you Kathryn, Kathryn Perez. I know you’ve written some het books under the pen name Cait Perez, there’s even a website (for now) with all your personal pictures, including your full name and address. You don’t have to take the site down. We have screen shots of it all. So far so good. You then decided to write M/M books. That is fine. You’re NOT the only one, far from it.

But you couldn’t just take a pen name and run with it, like so many of my friends. You couldn’t just settle for a pen name that was gender ambiguous, no, you went all out, for a male pseudonym. That’s fine, too, some of my female author friends did that, too. But you took it several steps further:

You “stole” images and pretended for them to be you (from the BBC, including in the one video that is still on YouTube), from Kevin Spacey until you finally, a couple of days ago, went all out, painted a beard on your face and recorded a video with a distorted male voice. That video has since been removed. But many of us have screen captures.

This face isn’t yours. It’s what a man from Dundee, Scotland would look like if he was made up from all men there. Source: BBC

Why would anyone photoshop a picture of actor Kevin Spacey and pretend to be that person? Why? Kathryn, only you know why! I doubt Kevin would be pleased, if he knew…

Finally, the real you, with those glasses we know so well from the “real” you, Kathryn:

Rule #1 in deception & impersonation: take off your glasses, Kathryn!

To paint a beard on your face (in case you forgot, the inset picture is from your deleted YouTube video), hide your bangs and your long hair under a baseball cap and wearing your husband Hector’s shirt won’t cut it.

Now, you may wonder why I’m so invested in your case. Allow me to explain. I have no qualms with authors using pen names, quite the contrary. I understand, as a real gay man, what discrimination means. I know the price of being gay, of your books not being sold in mainstream stores, of readers not picking up your books because “but I’m not gay…” (I can only imagine what my teachers would’ve said if I’d refused to read Shakespeare with the words “but I’m not straight!”) Not that I’m as good as Shakespeare, just saying.

I understand that many of the men & women writing in the LGBT space are not out to their families, places of work or their congregations, and they know what would happen if they did. I also understand that there are many other reasons to have a pen name, the simplest one being: because I want to. That is fine, too.

As an author, I am also intimately aware that we want to distance ourselves from our books, our characters. And I understand that readers, reviewers and literary researchers try to look for “us”, our essence, in our work. I understand that, too. Not that I think it’s right, or even necessary, but it is what it is. I’ve written about both pen names, and our right to be anonymous.

No, you’re not a MAN, No, you’re not a GAY MAN, no, it was not a rumor, and by Jove I hope you have more respect for your husband Hector than you showed him by making him look like an imbecile who doesn’t speak English…

But what you do, dear Kathryn, is different. You pretend to be a man, not just by name, you also chose the male pronoun on your (once again deleted Facebook profiles), unlike the honest authors. You posted this (image to the right) on Facebook when people realized you were fake, a fraud:

But no Kathryn, you’re clearly not a man. You’re clearly not gay. You are married to Hector Perez and you have a lovely daughter. Now, I can’t be sure that you’re not a trans person deep inside, but that is an entirely different animal. If you were, you probably wouldn’t go to such lengths to lie about who you are and basically paint what amounts to a trans “blackface” on you. I have trans friends, and I know of their pain, their suffering, and I can tell you that the trans friends who’ve learned about you are as appalled and disturbed by your behavior as your straight (former) fans/readers, and the authors in the LGBT space.

Byron Rider is dead, or not? Like Jesus “he”‘s risen from the grave.

Sadly, your deception goes further. In a hissy fit after my original post a couple of months ago, you faked your death. Yes, you died, online, for everyone to see, and you posted an obituary, complete with fake ID’s and stolen images. Do you understand that this constitutes identity theft? Do you realize this is illegal?

From what I understand, you are a teacher at a small community college in Houston, you live in Pasadena, TX. This information is publicly available on your website and your LinkedIn profile.

Although, do you really hold a PhD like you claim on LinkedIn? Your employer seems to disagree on their official page on you. A master’s degree is no PhD Kathryn. Seems you pathological lying extends into your profession, too? If I had a doctorate in philosophy, I’d want that to be reflected on my school’s website… Just saying.

The image you stole if that of a fellow teaching colleague of yours. Does he know? What does he say about this? What does the college think that you manipulate their staff ID’s? That you abuse their name to further your sick plotting and to fake your death?

To fake your death the way you did is probably not a breach of the law itself, but boy is it stupid. And to die and resurrect? Yes, there are many deaths (another one of your amazing lies), but you are no Jesus my friend. Quite the contrary. Thou shalt not lie!

But that’s not it, is is? In my original post about you, I asked about your books. I have never read a Byron Rider or Cait Perez book. But you published more than ten books in less than a month, more than twenty in eleven months, and I think the question is valid: when and how did you write this much? Aren’t you a teacher?

More than that: most authors can’t wait to publish their books ASAP. Nothing is more painful than having to wait for months and years to see them out. Besides, you lose income, which I understand from a now deleted blog post, is very important to you. I don’t know if you plagiarized those books, but given that everything else about you is fake? The question must be asked. Your covers, not the most artistic ones I’ve seen, are easier to check. I don’t have the time to go through all your books, but someone at Amazon should, because I’ve found this cover of yours:

This is one of your covers, right? And the image is taken straight from a screen shot of a room used in the movie Fifty Shades of Gray.

You do understand that this picture is taken from a movie? All I had to do was do an image search to find the results. Anybody can do that. Do you have the rights to use it? Do you pay royalties to the rights owners of Fifty Shades of Gray?

Having been in the publishing industry for many years, I find it difficult to believe. Given how tacky and amateurish your covers generally are, I doubt you’ll pay potentially thousands of dollars to use such a picture. Provided the makers of a straight BDSM movie would even want to be associated with the author of gay writing… As a gay man, my real-life experience is that they probably wouldn’t. Who wants “a million moms” boycotting their picture?

You do understand that “downloading” images from Google to use in your artwork is illegal? What about your other covers?

Unfortunately, only the people at the studio who hold the copyright can ask Amazon to take action, but someone should look at all your book covers, and double check the actual stories, to see where those images and the texts came from. Maybe someone who reads this knows someone at Amazon?

I’m sure you think this is unfair, you probably feel persecuted. Welcome to the life of being LGBT, a world you don’t seem to understand, at all. Your political views, legitimate of course, as a fervent Trump supporter, puts you at odds with the LGBT community and our allies, a community you try to make money from; therefore you have to accept to be questioned. Just like Milo Yiannopoulos. You remember what happened to him…

On your website you titled yourself “gay lifestyle author”. Dear Kathryn, being gay is not a lifestyle. It’s not a choice, like choosing a criminal lifestyle, but I understand that you don’t understand that. I cannot not be gay, as little as an ostrich can take flight. I’m still human, the ostrich still a bird, but we have no choice. The one person who has a choice, is you.

If you wish to continue to write M/M books, you’re welcome to do so. But here are a couple of tips:

apologize. You’ve hurt so many people, from readers to authors!

stay away from stolen imagery, for yourself or your covers

ask a proper cover designer to help you, get editors and proof readers to polish your work

don’t fake being a man, heart attacks and deaths. It’s illegal and you hurt the feelings of many in the trans community, not to mention you insult the intelligence of the people you expect to read your books.

don’t fake IDs (you’re faculty, not a student, and at 55, old enough to buy booze)

don’t threaten authors and readers. That’s generally a bad idea. We are a small community, and most of us know each other, or we certainly know someone who does knows. You can’t hide.

Are you a joke? Given how amateurish you act (your real name and residential address online for everyone to see, the idiotic parody with the painted beard and slow-play video to “fix” the voice), I’ve asked myself the question if this is all a big hoax, you know like the documentary with a loony Joaquin Phoenix. Yet I wonder, given your many mistakes, are you smart enough? Are you ill?

You know, and as a psychologist you should know this, sometimes people do bad things so badly, because they secretly are crying for help, they want to be found out. Is that you Kathryn? If so, I hope that someone contacts your employer, the San Jacinto College in Houston, where you teach – how ironic – psychology… As a father I am concerned that someone who clearly isn’t well, is teaching our children. They may be adults, but yeah, they’re still vulnerable at that tender age of eighteen, nineteen… Do they know about all the sick things you’ve done? Does your college support your views? Does Dr. Brenda Hellyer know? Maybe she should? I’m sure there is a policy of honesty and integrity as a faculty member there.

Personally, I have nothing to gain from exposing you. Quite the contrary. This is taking up far too much of my time, and the time of countless others. But I have no choice. You are hurting my friends, and my community, and you are a blemish, a shame for LGBT literature, and all those authors who work their asses off to get published, combining day jobs and writing at night. You’re hurting readers who’ve purchased your books in the honest belief you were who you said you were, Byron Rider.

I don’t sell a single extra book because of this, quite the contrary. All of us authors are risking to sell less, because how do people know who’s genuine and who’s fake? You’re not the first catphishing author, Kathryn, and most likely not the last fraud either. I love my industry, and the amazing stories we produce, stories that empower young LGBT youths to see that there is real hope for them, hope of happiness later in life, stories that empower men, women, trans, gender fluid and agender persons around the world to be the best human beings they can be. I am proud of what we do! Finally, a big thank you to all those who’ve contributed to this post, through research etc. No one mentioned, no one forgotten. I know who you are. Thanks!

So please, Kathryn, go get help! If not for my sake, or the sake of the tight-knit LGBT writing/reading community, get help for the sake of your husband Hector, and your daughter Angela. They deserve a healthy, happy spouse and mother, don’t you think?

Have a wonderful week,

Hans M Hirschi, gay man & author of gay fiction

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12 Comments

Rain Carrinton
on March 27, 2017 at 11:32 am

Hans, this was a great article, and like you, I am taking a risk in all of this as well. All of the authors who have banded together to find out what the hell is going on, and TRY to find out why this woman is doing all of this, are taking a risk.
I am a very proud mother of a student of San Jac. Yeah, in case you’re reading the comments, too, Kathryn, I know the nickname of the school in Pasadena where my daughter also lives. Before attending and graduating with honors at UH, she went there and still takes classes there, working toward her Masters.
She is appalled that a teacher from San Jac would do all of this. She watched your video, quite a few times, before you took it down, while on the phone with my other daughter. Angie will soon be in Pasadena with Sara, and they are going to go to the school together to tell them about your fraud. I am very relieved that she never had you as a teacher. I would be disgraced and disgusted if someone like you were teaching my children.
Since you actually DON’T have a PHD, are you working for one? Has all of this been an experiment for a dissertation? How to rile up an entire community? How to commit fraud or blend in with a community of gay people and those that support them? Are you going to be one of those doctors of the mind that still hold to the old, “being gay is a mental illness”. They’ll love you in Trumpland.
I mean, you called us all sick for busting you and outing your badly made video. Maybe you do believe we are all sick, and need mental help! But did we steal, and lie and continue to do so, far beyond any scope that is rational to let others know that you are not who you say you are? Did we try to disguise ourselves to fool you, or try to? Were we honest, angry and did we OWN those emotions?
We did! We own the FACT that we are angry. We own the FACT that we are disgusted in someone coming among us and hurting our own. We own the FACT that we pay editors, and cover designers or buy the rights to the photos we use on covers, and are angry that you try to skim by all of the things that we do RIGHT, in order to take money from people. Many of us own the FACT that we’d rather not use our real names, so we have pennames. I chose a gender neutral name but never once said I was a man, and even if I had let people believe that I was (which I never have personally) and never interacted with people, that is fine too! But to go through the motions of making up this entire life to fool people into thinking you are truly a gay man to sell books is wrong, it’s gross, it’s deceitful and it’s just hurtful.
You want to be a writer of anything, do the work! You cannot just write down a story and then make up lies to sell it. Pay your dues, do the WORK. You republicans are always screaming for us dems to work, well here you go, do the WORK it takes to become an artist in this genre and stop hurting and THREATENING people along the way. We WILL be going to your employer. You took it too far this time, lady.

As someone who was very badly hurt by this despicable person, i would just like to say a huge thank yo for this article. I have been left in a position where I no longer know who to trust. I cannot even bring myself to accept Facebook friend requests. And my stomach turns every time I see an image or a mention of this vile creature. I got very, very close to the person who pretended to be Byron Ryder, I helped this person, I pushed the books, I brought IT into my community of friends and authors. That is my fault. I am to blame. I trusted someone, completely, and I was fooled, and as a result, hurt beyond anything i can describe here. At the end of that horrific video, she holds up a Christmas Card. I made that card. I sent it to Byron Ryder at Christmas, back when I believed her to be a man and a close friend. What she says, what she does at the end of that video is a direct threat towards me. For a moment I felt totally helpless when I saw that. But do you know what? The amount of support, kindness and love that flowed in from this stunning community made me feel safe. I reported the threat to the provider of her website, and then I had confirmation from WIX that they had taken her site down, and she would not be returning.
I am trying to learn to trust again. I hate the fact that I have to question everything now, but I do so because this dangerous woman crushed me, and so many of my friends and colleagues. I am sorry for the day this creature entered my life. But I am even more angry that I allowed myself to be taken in, and that I shared so many intimate details with someone I cared about. If I never hear that name again for the rest of my life, it will be too soon.
So again, I say a big thank you for this article. I am sharing it across my social media.

It’s not your fault sean she screwed everyone over including myself who also helped her because that’s what I try to do help. She didn’t care who got hurt. You can’t let her change who you are living in fear because of someone else actions will only hurt you not them . I really hope in time you heal and go back to being you
Sending hugs
Tracy

Thanks for your open and candid comment. I do understand (blame the grapevine) that you were/are one of her victims. Although I was not aware just how extensive the damage is. I wish you the best of luck on your journey back to trusting others. It’s not an easy one, I know.

Beautifully written. I, as an avid reader was taken in by IT as well. We had conserved many times. When i learn of the her deception I was in shock. How could another human being in good conscience do something like this. But then maybe she doesn’t have a conscience at all. Your article was spot on. I am not a gay man nor woman but I believe we are who we are and no one should judge.

Excellent sleuthing, Hans, but I’m concerned that you named Kathryn’s daughter in the piece. Presumably, she’s an innocent. We all know there are nutjobs out there who will go to great lengths for their definition of justice. If she’s done nothing wrong, I’d encourage you to remove her name from your post to protect her from someone who’s even more unhinged than Kathryn.

I could, but those are all public records, since they all live in the same house. Someone even more unhinged would get that same information from her various online presences or the White pages. I’ll leave it in, not because I don’t share your concern for her innocence, but maybe, just maybe to show Kathryn in what a precarious positions she’s put her family in. All it takes is two clicks and you get this information: https://hauziz.com/location/565370d379c135fd5dd03c0e Yes, I could hide it, but it would still be publicly available. Hopefully, if Kathryn ever sees this, she’ll think about what the consequences of her actions might be for her family and loved ones.

This was an amazing article and thanks for publishing it. I spoke with Bryon aka… Kathyrn, Cait and whatever other names are being used now, just about helping with the birthday bash party. I can’t remember the exact words used, but something set me off and the red flares went soaring sky high. I immediately unfriended and blocked behind it.

A couple days later I hear of the death, then sudden resurrection, then name changes. So glad I got out before it directly impacted me. I have many friends who have been affected by this person, and as a writer in the MM genre, it’s quite insulting.